Use of amphotericin B lipid complex in elderly patients.

Objectives: The safety and effectiveness of amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC) treatment in elderly patients was investigated using a large multicenter database.

Methods: Data analysis was conducted on retrospectively collected patient data from 572 patients >65 years of age and 2930 patients < or =65 years of age treated for fungal infections at 160 North American hospitals.

Results: Patients were typically treated with ABLC for Candidiasis, multiple fungal pathogen infections and Aspergillosis, or were treated empirically. The median cumulative dose of ABLC in patients >65 years of age and those 65 years of age was similar (3000 and 3258 mg, respectively, P=0.127). Despite higher median pretreatment serum creatinine (S-Cr) among patients >65 years of age (1.7 mg/dl vs. 1.4 mg/dl, respectively), both groups showed only a 0.1mg/dl median S-Cr change from baseline by the end of therapy (P=0.525). Clinical response was 56 and 51%, respectively, in patients >65 years of age and patients 65 years of age or younger (P=0.049).

Conclusions: This study suggests that ABLC can be safely and effectively used in the treatment of invasive fungal disease in elderly patients.